Great Britain vs South Korea: Players to Watch in Olympic Soccer Quarterfinals
The Great Britain men's soccer team did what it was supposed to do in the preliminary round, but now the pressure is on.
Fans are expecting big things from the hometown team in one of the country's most popular sports. They successfully won their group, but now have to get past a surprisingly good South Korea team.
South Korea finished its group undefeated with a win and two draws, and the team's solid defense could present a challenge in the knockout stage.
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These players will be key in deciding the outcome of this highly competitive match.
Daniel Sturridge, Great Britain
It was uncertain whether Sturridge would be able to participate in the Olympics after fighting an illness, but the forward joined the team and has been huge so far.
His goal at the end of the first half against Uruguay was the difference in the match and it helped send Great Britain into the quarterfinals.
The Chelsea star is one of only nine players with multiple goals in the tournament, and he should remain the go-to scorer for this talented team.
Jung Sungryong, South Korea
The South Korea goalkeeper has played great so far and is a big reason this team is still alive in the tournament.
Sungryong has already done his part to earn two shutouts, both of which ended in scoreless draws. A couple of mistakes and this team would have been in a very different scenario through three games.
Great Britain has the toughest offense so far, but it has shown against Mexico that it can handle great players. If the goalie can keep the score low, South Korea can pull off the upset.
Craig Bellamy, Great Britain
As the second-oldest player on the Great Britain squad, Bellamy must be a leader to this young team and keep them grounded. While players and fans might want to look past this game to a possible matchup against Brazil, he must make sure everyone is focused on South Korea.
On the field, Bellamy is the only player on the team with both a goal and an assist in the first three games and his vision is vital to any attack.
Between the team history and the home crowd, the British will be expected to win this game. However, South Korea will be playing hard and a couple of mistakes could cost them everything.
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